Hi:) this is the last question in my exam and im rly tired lol id appreciate it if someone could answer asap <3 ill give brai
nliest
THE MATCH
There never was a time when the world was without fire, but there was a time when men did not know how to kindle fire, and after they learned how to kindle one, it was a long, long time before they learned how to
kindle one easily. In these days we can kindle a fire without any trouble, because we can easily get a match; but we must remember that the match is one of the most wonderful things in the world, and that it took
men thousands of years to learn how to make one. Let us learn the history of this familiar little object, the match.
Fire was first given to man by nature itself. When a forest is set on fire by cinders from a neighboring volcano, or when a tree is set ablaze by a thunderbolt, we may say that nature strikes a match. In the early
history of the world, nature had to Indle all the fires, for man by his own effort was unable to produce a spark. The first method, then, of getting fire for use was to light sticks of wood at a flame kindled by nature-
by a volcano, perhaps, or by a stroke of lightning. These firebrands were carried to the home and used in kindling the fires there. The fire secured in this way was carefully guarded and was kept burning as long as
possible. But the flame, however faithfully watched, would sometimes be extinguished. A sudden gust of wind or a sudden shower would put it out. Then a new firebrand would have to be secured, and this often
meant a long journey and a deal of trouble
In 1827, John Walker, a druggist in a small English town, tipped a splint with sulphur, chlorate of potash, and sulphid of antimony, and rubbed it on sandpaper, and it burst into flame. The druggist had discovered the
first friction chemical match, the kind we use to day. It is called friction-chemical because it is made by mibding certain chemicals together and rubbing them. Although Walker's match did not require the bottle of acid,
nevertheless it was not a good one. It could be lighted only by hard rubbing, and it sputtered and threw fire in all directions. In a few years, however, phosphorus was substituted on the tip for antimony, and the
change worked wonders. The match could now be lighted with very little rubbing, and it was no longer necessary to have sandpaper upon which to rub it. It would Ignite when rubbed on any dry surface, and there was
no longer any sputtering. This was the phosphorus match, the match with which we are so familiar
How does the author convince readers that the match was the most wonderful thing in the world"? Please respond in three to five complete sentences, using evidence from the text to support your answer. (5 points)
